


The Penguing Sings 'Wake Up Alone': A Meta On The Riddler's Feelings For The Penguin

by palpietine



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Analysis, Bisexual Edward Nygma, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexuality, Character Analysis, Character Study, Essay, Gay Oswald Cobblepot, Gay Panic, Homosexual Male Character, Homosexuality, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Meta, The producers were cowards, They're gay your honor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29436132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/palpietine/pseuds/palpietine
Summary: This is an analysis of the infamous scene in 'Gotham' where Ed/The Riddler hallucinates Oswald/The Penguin singing 'Wake Up Alone' by Amy Winehouse.
Relationships: Oswald Cobblepot & Edward Nygma, Oswald Cobblepot/Edward Nygma
Comments: 11
Kudos: 39





	The Penguing Sings 'Wake Up Alone': A Meta On The Riddler's Feelings For The Penguin

**Author's Note:**

> So, I originally posted it on tumblr, like, yesterday, but it somehow didn't get any notes. I'm not sure why. So, I deleted my original post. I decided to post it here and hope for the best.
> 
> Also, originally, there were supposed to be some pictures from the scene here to add to the descriptions, but I'm not sure I can upload images from my computer on AO3, so I guess I'll have to settle with only posting what I wrote.

It’s 2021, I have exams, we’re in the middle of a pandemic and I just finished Gotham, so, I thought: what a better way to spend my evening than by writing meta about a scene in a show that ended about a year ago?

Seriously though, all jokes aside, I managed to write this in a matter of hours and I'm actually very proud of it. I’m not a literally critic or anything. It’s mostly my interpretation of everything. Feel free to add or correct anything I have written.

So, in case you have forgotten the context for this scene, may I remind you what happened. Oswald fell in love with Ed, but Ed found himself a new girlfriend, who was identical to his ex he murdered. It was as weird as it sounds. Oswald was jealous and decided to murder the new girlfriend, which he did. Ed figured it out and wanted revenge. So, Ed shot Oswald in the torso, resulting in Oswald dropping in the sea. Ed, now, believes he’s successfully murdered Oswald (in reality, Oswald is at Ivy’s recovering). Ed starts taking hallucinatory pills, which make him see Oswald. Simultaneously, he’s trying to find a new nemesis, someone who will be able to solve his riddles.

One of the many hallucinations includes the infamous scene where Ed sees Oswald singing to him. This scene is shot using a specific filter, which gives the illusion it’s been shot on film. At the beginning, Oswald’s back is turned towards a confused Ed. Then, Oswald turns around and starts singing. During this scene, the camera alternates between shots of Oswald’s performance and Ed’s reaction to it. Afterwards, Ed snaps back to reality, bangs his hand on a table and screams ‘Enough!’ before confessing that killing Oswald killed a part of him.

So, the scene lasts only about 30 seconds, yet, in those 30 seconds, so much happens. Since this scene takes place in Ed’s imagination, it’s all about Ed’s thoughts and feelings. There are many small details that make this scene extremely interesting in regards to the dynamic between Ed and Oswald from Ed’s perspective. And, after this analysis, it will become very clear that this was meant to be seen as a manifestation of Ed’s complex feelings for Oswald.

In order to better explain my analysis, I will have 4 different sections in this meta, all dedicated to explaining a different characteristic of the scene: Color, Oswald’s movements and appearance, Ed’s facial expressions and the Song Lyrics. I could have simply described every sequence separately and make my comments there, but I thought it’d be boring. Also, the performance is only 30 seconds long. I’d have to analyze every second of this scene and it’d be boring as hell.

**Color:**

Throughout the scene, an intense red light illuminates behind Oswald. The light never changes or stops during the sequence. 

The color red is a very interesting choice, seeing as it’s neither Ed’s (green) nor Oswald’s color (black/purple). Red can have many meanings in media. Red can be a symbol of romantic love, lust and attraction, yet it can also be a symbol of blood, violence and hatred. It’s basically a color that represents passionate emotions. We can conclude that the red light is an allegory for Ed’s feelings for Oswald. On one hand, Ed is attracted to Oswald and has genuine romantic feelings for him. On the other hand, Oswald betrayed Ed and Ed killed him, or at least that’s what he believes happen. Remember, Ed doesn’t know Oswald is still alive yet. In his mind, Ed killed the man that meant to him more than anything else.

Red is also a symbol of forbidden things. Sinful thoughts, broken rules, things that should stay out of reach. In Ed’s mind, his romantic feelings for Oswald shouldn’t exist. Oswald betrayed him and then he killed him. While Ed is a remorseless killer, killing someone so important to him, although a bit justified by Oswald’s actions, was still something that left him shaken. Since he couldn’t just switch off his love for Oswald when he began to despise him, he’s left with a confused state of mind and a lot of guilt. He shouldn’t want Oswald anymore, yet he does.

Furthermore, green, which is the Riddler’s color, and red are opposite colors. So, by having this scene illuminated by a red light, it gives the sense that this scene goes against everything the Riddler stands for: logic, rationality, no emotions. Yet Ed feels so many emotions for Oswald and he can’t control it. Red represents the emotional side of Ed, which Ed wants to distance himself from in favor of the Riddler.

Also, while the red light illuminated from behind Oswald, Ed is the one who has been covered by it. This can be seen as a metaphor. Just like how his intense, conflicting feelings for Oswald have taken over his mind, so has the red light taken over his body.

**Oswald's Movements and Appearance:**

It’s no secret that the Penguin is considered one of the least… conventionally attractive villains of Gotham. In fact, in the movie ‘Batman Returns’, his backstory is that he was abandoned by his parents because of his appearance (yikes). And while Gotham’s version of Oswald is younger and Robin Lord Taylor is definitely handsome, Oswald doesn’t exactly have the characteristics we associate with an attractive man. He’s short, he often has those weird emo – ish bangs (I always thought they looked awful), his nose has a beak – like shape and he has a limp. Obviously, if someone has one or more of these characteristics, this doesn’t mean they’re an ugly person. My nose has a bit of a beak – like shape as well. But, let’s be honest, I doubt Gotham cares about body positivity.

Also, while Oswald is extremely confident, he doesn’t have flirtatious charm. Unlike some other villains, who use their sex appeal to manipulate others into doing what they want, Oswald doesn’t do that, because he _can’t_ do that. Like I said, he isn’t considered attractive, so, despite his confident personality, he probably doesn’t think that his appearance could help him in any way. Instead, he uses his charm by using the right words with the right people, so he can get them to do what he wants. So, while he’s definitely self – assured, his confidence and his success don’t stem from his appearance.

Yet, in this scene, he has many features that even made me think ‘Damn. He’s pretty hot’. He’s wearing a stunning tuxedo, he’s pulled his hair back, his cheekbones are sharp and he’s standing up with a straight back. Also, he’s extremely flirtatious towards Ed. He smirks and leaks his lips throughout the performance.

But the most important detail is how Oswald looks at Ed. For starters, he’s almost always looking at Ed exclusively. He almost never breaks eye contact. One of the most common pieces of advice when flirting is to never break eye contact, and Oswald is following that rule with great dedication. Another thing to note about the way Oswald looks at Ed is the angle of his head. Usually, Oswald is looking upwards, both to look intimidating and because of his short height. Here, Oswald’s head has bowed a bit, so his chin is lowered and he’s looking at Ed from a lower angle. This movement is usually considered seductive and sexy.

Oswald only breaks eye contact twice. I’m going to analyze those moments and their context in a bit.

And, now, I will describe his movements throughout the scene, which I find very interesting. At the beginning of the song, Oswald is holding his top hat in his two hands, keeping them busy, while he’s singing and looking at Ed. Later, he uses only his left hand to hold his hat and looks down on the hat for a brief second, before turning his attention back to Ed and starting sensually caressing the top part of the hat with his right hand. Yeah… It’s very sexy. I admit it. There’s no denying that. That moment also includes one of the only times when Oswald breaks eye contact, which is followed by Oswald’s bedroom eyes.

Not gonna lie. I’m not sure how Ed managed to control himself in that sequence.

After that sexy hat touching is over, Oswald’s right arm is slightly raised. It’s not very obvious, because of the camera angle, but there’s definitely some movement there. This is the second time Oswald breaks eye contact with Ed, as he looks slightly to the right, in the general direction of his raised arm. That is immediately followed by Oswald raising his head a bit, still looking slightly to the right, closing his eyes and letting his mouth a bit open.

Once again, _how did Ed control himself?_ I…

Unfortunately, Oswald’s performance doesn’t stay seductive throughout the entirety of the scene. When the song is almost done, Oswald’s flirtatious attitude is gone. He’s raised his head, so he isn’t looking at Ed seductively. It’s also the moment when Oswald puts his hat on and readjusts his coat. Oswald becomes serious once again. Paired with the lyrics, which I will talk about later, it’s obviously meant to be the instance where Ed breaks from the trance Oswald has put him into. From now on, I will refer to the final part of the scene as the ‘reality check’.

A thing worth noting is that Oswald’s movements are slow, steady and small throughout the song. He’s not rushing. He knows what he’s here to do, which is to sexually frustrate Ed, and he knows how to do it. The only time when his movements aren’t slow is during the reality check.

In this scene, Oswald has taken up a role we’ve never seen take up in the show before. He’s not a crime boss, or the mayor, or anything like that; he’s a seductive performer, putting on a show just for Ed. He’s irresistible, stunning, and the center of attention in a sexual manner. Seeing as this all takes place in Ed’s head, it’s very obvious that this is a manifestation of Ed’s sexual desire for Oswald. For him, Oswald is a man who knows how to make a whole room pay attention to him, he knows how to get what he wants, how to conquer. And that’s exactly the role he’s taking in Ed’s sexual fantasies, just with a bit more… flamboyance and theatrics, which is a detail put in by Ed, for sure.

**Ed's Facial Expressions:**

Honestly, I’m really excited about this part, because I think Ed’s facial expressions during this sequence are one of the most hilarious details in this scene. Oswald is being all sexy and sensual and Ed is just so goddamn turned on and tries to convince himself he isn’t!

His first shot in this scene shows him asking Oswald ‘What are you doing?’ He’s confused and perplexed by the whole setting. At this point, all Ed has seen is the red light and Oswald standing there, with his back turned to him. He’s not sure what to expect.

His second shot shows him slightly shocked and gulping. Yes, he’s gulping. You heard that right. There’s some minute, discreet movement in his neck. It’s not very visible, but it’s there. At this point, Ed has seen Oswald in his whole glory; Oswald has turned around to face him and has sang a few words for Ed. Gulping is usually done when someone is feeling uncomfortable or awkward. So, we can assume Ed’s feeling out of his water at the moment. And I don’t blame him. The man he loved and murdered is standing in front of him, dressed to the tens, singing with his beautiful voice. Ed’s uncertain of what he’s supposed to be feeling. Also, he knows this is just his imagination. So he’s probably confused as to why his brain shows him Oswald in this way.

His third shot has him rub his eyes, using his fingers. He’s making a foul attempt at shaking himself back to reality. After that, he takes off his glasses and rubs, with his fingers, some spots just above his eyebrows. He’s trying even harder to stop this hallucination. He’s in shock that his incredible, rational mind would come up with a setting where Oswald is putting up a show for him.

His fourth shot is the one that makes his attraction towards Oswald the most obvious. He’s breathing out hard, like one does when seeing something that turns them on. Also, while it’s not very obvious, because of how it’s shot, it seems like he’s looking up and down Oswald. So, he’s basically given up on explaining what’s going on, has admitted that Oswald looks hot as hell and is checking him out. Good for you, Ed! Finally! Also, he still hasn’t put on his glasses from the last shot. Seeing as glasses in media are usually a symbol of intelligence and logic, worn by scientists and people who think with their minds, I find it telling that, in the moment Ed is showing he’s attracted to what he’s seeing, he isn’t wearing his glasses. He lets himself go for a moment and doesn’t think with his brain, but with his heart…

And his penis, obviously. I mean… this is a sexual hallucination, after all.

His fifth shot is probably the most funny. It takes place right after Oswald sensually touches the top of his hat. Ed reacts to that by… slapping himself. The responsible meta writer in me wants to say that Ed tried to get back to his senses again. The horny bisexual in me wants to say he’s trying to slap the gay away. It’s probably both.

His sixth shot is very short. It’s him putting on his glasses again. I mentioned before that his glasses are a symbol of the rational part of him. So, when he’s putting on the glasses again, it signifies him returning to his usual, rationalist self. He wants to have the control of his reality again.

The seventh shot doesn’t show his whole face; just part of his left profile. He closes his eyes and breaths out hard for the second time. He continues trying to come to his senses by avoiding looking at Oswald, yet his hard breath betrays his true emotions. He likes what he’s seeing, despite his best effort to not look.

His eighth and final shot starts by showing us part of his left profile again. His eyes are open and he’s obviously breathing intensely. However, we notice that he has clenched his teeth. This is a sudden change of pace in his reactions. For the first time, he isn’t turned on or confused. He’s angry. As the shot continues, we go back to seeing his whole face and it’s obvious he’s feeling mad. His eye gaze is hateful and his face muscles are tense. Ed is feeling hatred in this scene.

After this shot, the reality check takes place and we don’t see any more of Ed.

What can we conclude from this? Well, just like with the red light, Ed’s reactions reveal his complex and mixed feelings for Oswald. Ed is attracted to him, which is why he’s seeing this whole sequence in the first place. But Ed also despises Oswald for what he did to his girlfriend, which led to him killing Oswald. So, while for a moment he enjoys the show, he quickly gets angry. But I don’t think he’s angry with Oswald for his betrayal that much. I think he’s mostly angry with himself. Because he allowed himself catch feelings for Oswald. Because he killed him and now feels guilty. Because he’s still allowing Oswald to be around by hallucinating. Because, for all the bragging he does about being a rationalist, he can’t handle his own irrational, stupid, contradicting emotions for Oswald.

** Song Lyrics: **

In this scene, Oswald performs a small part of the song ‘Wake up Alone’ by Amy Winehouse. While I don’t know much about performing, I can say for sure that Robin Lord Taylor was exceptional in this scene. However, what is important for this meta isn’t the Penguin's singing technique, but the lyrics of the song he performs. Once again, may I remind you that this is just Ed’s mind playing with him. The lyrics, despite being sang by Oswald to Ed, are actually an expression of Ed’s feelings for Oswald. So, we’re going to analyze each lyric carefully and explain what they reveal about Ed.

_He's fierce in my dreams, seizing my guts_

One could say that this lyric is talking about how Oswald appears in Ed’s hallucination and is still messing with his head, even after Ed shot him. Not only has Oswald stuck around, a constant reminder of what Ed did, but he’s also having conversations with him, putting up seductive performances and just distracting him in general. Also, there’s the common expression ‘You need to have the guts’, which mean that one must be brave. In this case, it could mean that Ed has lost his guts, his bravery, and feels cowardly towards the hallucination. He’s surrendered to Oswald,, mind, body and soul. He’s too terrified of accepting Oswald is gone for him to let go of the hallucination.

It could also be talking about Ed’s sexual desire for Oswald. In his fantasy, Oswald is a dominant man, who Ed can’t help but submit to, in a sexual manner. And I’ve been around gay tumblr or gay tumblr – inspired sides of other social media sites for long enough to have heard the phrase ‘I want someone to rearrange my guts’, which means you want someone to fuck you hard. So, basically, Ed is feeling super horny and wants to have sex with Oswald. Only he can’t do that, because Ed shot Oswald, so Ed settles for whatever he sees in his hallucinations and dreams.

_He floats me with dread_

What is interesting about this line is that, as Oswald sings it, the camera shows his shot upside down. It’s a visual representation of the floating the lyric mentions.

So, what does it say about Ed? Well, it means that, one way or another, Oswald makes Ed feel like he’s no longer on Earth, but in the sky. Oswald makes Ed feel light and with his head in the clouds, but not in a necessarily kind manner. There’s fear mixed in with his emotions. It could be a reference to how Ed takes the pills and sees Oswald. In a way, Ed floats, because he gets high from the drugs, yet this high is not exactly one that relaxes him, because of Oswald’s presence. It could also be talking about how being in love makes you feel like your feet are lighter and you have your head in the clouds. However, because Ed also hates Oswald, he’s very confused about his romantic feelings. His love for Oswald should have been making him happy, but because of all that went down between them, he doesn’t allow himself to enjoy those emotions. This could all apply to Ed’s sexual attraction to Oswald, as well. Not to mention that it could be a reference to the french euphemism for orgasm: ‘a little death’. Floating is the kind of word you’d use to describe leaving this world, just like in death. Maybe it’s a stretch, but I wanted to write it in, so…

_Soaked in soul_

The mention of a soul is very interesting, because Ed is a strict rationalist and a firm believer in science. And science hasn’t proven what a soul is, or if it even exists in the first place. So, one would assume he thinks little of the concept of a soul. Yet, here, he imagines Oswald being full with it. The soul could refer to many things. Maybe it’s Oswald’s dominant personality. Maybe it’s Oswald’s capacity to express his emotions. Maybe it’s any quality of Oswald that Ed finds attractive or interesting. Maybe it’s the romantic feelings Oswald feels for Ed, which he knows about.

_He swims in my eyes by the bed_

It needs to be noted that this is the lyric Oswald sings during the sexy hat caressing part of his performance. The swimming which is mentioned here is obviously a metaphor for Oswald’s reflection on Ed’s eyes when they’re close. It could be a reference to the hallucinations and how Ed can still see Oswald. However, seeing as Ed sees Oswald by the bed, and this is when the sensual hat touching occurs, I think it’s another lyric about Ed’s romantic and sexual feelings for Oswald. He imagines Oswald on a bed, and he imagines being close enough to him that there’s a reflection of Oswald on his eyes. He wants intimacy and sex and love, and he wants to have all that with Oswald. But he can’t have all that, so he has to imagine everything.

_Pour myself over him_

While the Riddler is a villain who’s entire concept is based on using his logic, this doesn’t mean he doesn’t have emotions, no matter how hard he tries to suppress them. And Ed imagines being able to talk about his feelings and emotions and thoughts and just about everything to Oswald. After all, they were best friends, so they already shared a very deep bond, where they opened up to each other. It could also be about his hallucination of Oswald, who knows everything about his true emotions, since he’s just a pigment of Ed’s imagination. Thus, Oswald manifests all his inner thoughts as a hallucination, just like in this scene. Lastly, there’s the obviously sexual interpretation. I think you can figure it out by yourselves.

_Moon spilling in_

Seeing as the moon appears in the darkness of the night, there are some interesting possible meanings. The darkness that comes with the night, which is when the moon is visible, could be a metaphorical darkness. Ed is at one of his lowest points. He lost his girlfriend, he shot his best friend, for whom he has developed romantic feelings, and is now taking drugs which make him hallucinate the aforementioned best friend, while he’s also trying to find a new nemesis. So, yeah, it’s a pretty dark moment in his life. However, it could also be a literal night, like when he and Oswald could have been getting intimate, or when he could fantasize in his dreams about being intimate with Oswald.

_And I wake up alone_

This is the line Oswald sings during the reality check. It brings Ed back to the reality of his situation. There’s no Oswald anymore. Ed made sure of that. He lost the man he loved for good. He’ll never be able to be in a romantic relationship with Oswald, he’ll never have sex with Oswald, and he’ll never open up about himself to Oswald. He’ll spend the day with a hallucination and the night with a dream, only to wake up alone, for the remaining of his life.

Conclusion:

So, what’s the conclusion?

Well, for starters, as I have mentioned already multiple times, Ed has intense, mixed feelings regarding Oswald and everything that went down between them. Love, hate, betrayal, desire, guilt, confusion, lust, grief… And he’s trying very hard to get over all these feelings so he can get on with his life, but it’s almost impossible. While he’s definitely attracted to Oswald, he’s also angry with him. And, above all else, he feels immense guilt for all the bad things that occurred between him and Oswald, which is why he doesn’t let himself enjoy the show or let go of Oswald yet.

However, in this hallucination, Oswald acted in a way that touched on Ed’s romantic feelings for Oswald, yet Ed managed to recall all the hateful and negative feelings. He doesn’t allow himself to accept he loves Oswald, even if his mind is telling him otherwise. Ed picked the worst time to not listen to his brain.

It’s also very hilarious to watch Ed be in gay panic mode! As a fellow bisexual, Ed dear, I feel you. It also made me think about whether Ed knew he was attracted to men before meeting Oswald or not. We do know he doesn’t have a lot dating experience, but this doesn’t mean he couldn’t have had crushes. So, between being perplexed by his love and hatred for Oswald, there’s a chance Ed was also in the midst of a sexual awakening. Unfortunately, the writers were cowards and all we get from the show in canon is implied bisexuality.

Speaking of Gotham BTS, I can’t believe they wrote a scene with such an intense homoerotic and sexual subtext, only for Ed and Oswald to never even share a kiss. I mean, yeah, sometimes actors have too good of a chemistry, but there’s so much stuff in this scene, which were intentional choices of the directors, script writers and the actors, which resulted in a scene filled with sexual tension. They must have known what they were doing during all this!

Secondly, it’s an awesome scene. Just… wow. And the fact that I managed to write such a long essay out of it just proves it. Or it just proves I’m obsessed with the ship. I don’t know.

**Author's Note:**

> If you reached this point, I want to thank you so much for reading this! I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoyed it and found it interesting. Kudos and comments are more than welcome!
> 
> You can find me on tumblr @palpietine-1


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